Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-04-07
Family ACKNOWLEDGMENT devoted Literature Local and General News
Mehancshwn Frederick County, Mayand Thursday April s, 1884,

bly enough for hall an nour or more without
once abiding to the business which had
brought the pair of us to WltonbUrg. His
conversation was pleasant, and really came
to like the fellow; and l thought of myself
that had been prejudiccd against him with
out cause At length he arose and babe mo
good night and went away, and shortly after
ward retired.
had been in bed but little while when
another rap disturbed me, and to my demand
of what was wanted I received all answe'
from I,aban Shaw. He babe me not to lislf
lamp He had only come for his night.
gown. He could get it in the dark arose
and unlocked my door, and his apologies were
many and earnest. He always slept in win.
ter in a flannel nightSown, and he had
thoughtlcssly left it in his carpet bag. He
was sorry, very sorry. He had thought to
try to sleep without it rather than disturb
me, but his room was cold, and
cut him Short and told him there was no
need of further apology; while he fumblec
over his bag went to the stove to mako
double assurance that tho fire was all right.
| offered to light match for him, but la
said he had got his dress, and all was right.
He then went out, and [ closed and locked
the door after him, and then got back into
bed
But l was not to sleep I had been very
sleepy when Shaw disturbed me- But an en-
tircly different feeling possessed me now. First
came a nervous twitchng in my limbs,
"crawly' feeling, as some express 1t, that sem
sation which induces gaping and yawnlng,
but which no amount of yawning could now
subdue. BY and by n sonse of nightmare
stole upon me; and, though perfectly awake,
sense as of impending danger possessed ne.
AT length SO uncomfortable did become in
my recumbent position that | arose and
lighted my lamp, resolved 60 rcplenish my
fire, and dress myself, and see If could read
away my nervous ht
My lamp was lighted, and as returned to
the bedside for my slippers, my attention was
attracted by string Which lay upon the car
pet; a string leading from the bed to the
door. | stopped to examine it and found it
fast at both ends | brought the lamp, and
took a more careful survey. The string was
fine sllen trout line, new and strong, one
end of which disappeared beneath the bed,
and the other beneath the door. In my then
present condition | was suspicious of evil,
and my senses were painfully keen. Raising
the hanging edge Of the coverlet | looked I'M
der the bed. The carpet bag which Laban
Shaw had left there, partly open, with
the silken line leading out from it. What
could it mean, Had the man acct
IDENTIFY carried the end of the line away with
his night dress without noticing it, drew
the bag out from beneath IL" bed, and us |
bold is Jaws apart | saw, within, e double
barrelcd pistol, both hammers cooked, bright
percussion caps cleaning upon the tubes
while the sikcn line, with double end, was
made fast to the triggers! And saw that
the muzzlc of the pistol barrels were inserted
into the end of IN ohlong box, or case, of
galvanized iron. And comprehcnlcd, too
that a very slight pull upon that string
might have discharged the pistol, and, there
fore, that n man outside of my door might
have done that thing,
For n little time my hands trcmbcd 50 that
dared not touch the Internal contrivancc;
but at length composed myself and went at
work First, cut the string with ny knife
and then, as carefully as possible, | eased
down the hammers Of :he pistol, after which
drew it from the iron case. had Just done
tins when | heard step i'll the hall outside
my door. Quick as thought ] sprang up and
turned thu key, and threw the door open, and
before mo, revealed by the light Of my own
when he SAW me, and trembled like an aspen.
was stronger than he at any time and now
he was a child in my hands grasped him
by the collar and dragged him into my room,
and | pointed the double burrcled pistol at
his breast, and I told him l would shoot him
DIS | would shoot dog if he gave me occasion.
He was ubjcct and terrified Like
whipped cur he crawlcd at my feet and
ll,.ptpI ir.l
him to do it with promise Of great reward 1t
had transpired that my testimony before the
fury would be conclusive of Butterworth's
guilt and But,orworth had taken this means
to get rid of me. In his great terror the poor
accomplish made full confession, and when
he had told all, | released my grasp. He
begged that | would let Him go, Lut | dared
not--my duty would not allow it. Irang the
bell and III time the hoStlcr, who slept in the
office, answered my summons. l sent him
for an officer, and at length had the salts
faction of seeing my prisoner led safely
away
On the following dry the carpet bag was
taken before the grand jury and the iron case
examined 10y an experienced chemist, assisted
by an old armorcr from the arsenal 1t was
found to contain n illuminate of mercury.
ion of both the chemist and the armornr that
the power of the terrific explosive agent, hail
it been ignited, as it was placed, beneath my
bed, would not only have been sufficient TO
blow me to atoms, but that it would also have
literally stripped and Shivcrcd to fragments
all of the house above it,
And single pull Of the slken string would
have been sufficient to this horrible end! And
>f
Interchangeable destroyer would have come;
the fatal cord would have been touched, the
mine sprung and should have been launched
into eternity as if on the lightnng's bolt.
And so Gabriel Butcrworth did not pro-
cure the destruction of my testimony, but,
through that testimony, the grand jury found
cause for Indictment of far grnvrr character
than had at first been antripatcl; and of
those eravrr charges he was convicted. Seth
Damon received back the full sum he had in
trusted to the false mans care, and shortly
nltcrwald entered into business with him,
and to-day Seth Damon and are partners.
lal,an Shaw came out from prison and went
to Idaho | have not heard of him since.
Gabriel Butterworh aid not live to serve out
his full term Of sentence. -Toronto Mail.
The Growth of Chicago!
This growing, by the way, makes some
curious and expensive letting down of tucks
and piecing and destroying. Thus some one
referred in my hearing to talls about selling
Honore block, and remarked that the prop
ertv was rather hard to dispose of because
"the building was not modern. and yet it was
too good to tear down" Now this rather made
me stare. IIonore block, II six story affair
ccrnering next to tho postofice, was put up
after the great fire, being finished about
dozen years ago, with stone front, fine Gle
vator and all things belitting, SO that had
known if rs The crack business iuilliur of tho